The summary examines the future of pathways to leadership in science, how to respond to changes in the research enterprise, communicating science, the evolution of the government-university partnership, and connecting basic research with economic growth in the decades to come. It draws on remarks from luminaries such as:
- Alan Alda, founder, Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University
- Norman Augustine, former chairman and CEO, Lockheed Martin Corp.
- France Córdova, former director, National Science Foundation
- Shirley Ann Jackson, president, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Sheila Jasanoff, Pforzheimer Professor of Science and Technology Studies, Harvard University
- Rafael Reif, president, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
In her opening remarks, Marcia McNutt, president of the National Academy of Sciences, said that while no one knows what changes the next 75 years might bring, “The stakes are high.” She added, “We need to find ways to make all of our institutions, including my own, more responsive and nimble in a fast-moving world. We must ask if we are doing enough to inspire, nurture, and cultivate our young people. We have to encourage diversity and inclusion and create an informed citizenry that values decision-making and policies based on science and evidence.”